Conor Oberst's New Album, "Upside Down Mountain," Due May 19, Available to Pre-Order; Download Two Tracks Now
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst has revealed the cover art for his new solo album Upside Down Mountain, which is out on May 19 via Nonesuch Records, and unveiled a new track from the album, "Governor’s Ball," which you can hear here. The album is now available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store with an exclusive print featuring the album art, or via iTunes, both with an instant download of the tracks "Hundreds of Ways" and "Governor’s Ball." Oberst kicks off the first leg of a world tour in support of the new album on May 8 with special guests Dawes.
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst has revealed the cover art—The Creation of the Bulls by his friend Ian Felice—for his new solo album Upside Down Mountain, which is out on May 19 via Nonesuch Records, and unveiled a new track from the album, "Governor’s Ball," which you can hear below. The album is now available to pre-order in the Nonesuch Store with an exclusive print featuring the album art, or via iTunes, both with an instant download of the tracks "Hundreds of Ways" and "Governor’s Ball."
Upside Down Mountain features many other friends of Oberst’s, including producer Jonathan Wilson, engineer Andy LeMaster, bassist Macey Taylor, multi-instrumentalist Blake Mills, and the Swedish sibling folk-rock vocal duo First Aid Kit. What started as exploratory demos with producer-musician Jonathan Wilson at his Fivestar Studios in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, in a home Wilson rents from Oberst, became the first de facto album sessions. Returning to his native Omaha, Nebraska, Oberst kept rolling with the help of frequent collaborator, engineer, and friend Andy LeMaster at his own ARC Studios. Even more tracking followed in Omaha last November and December. Then Oberst and Wilson moved south to Blackbird Studio in Nashville.
“This is a return to an earlier way I wrote,” Oberst says of the songs on Upside Down Mountain. “It’s more intimate or personal, if you will. Even if all my songs come from the same place, you make different aesthetic decisions along the way. For me, language is a huge part of why I make music. I’m not the greatest guitar player or piano player—I’m not the greatest singer, either—but I feel if I can come up with melodies I like that are fused with poetry I’m proud of, then that’s what I bring to the table. That’s why I’m able to do this.”
Oberst kicks off the first leg of a world tour in support of the new album on May 8 in North Carolina. His friends and colleagues Dawes appear on the bill as "Special Guests"—both opening the shows and acting as Oberst’s band for the tour. See the dates below and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour for all the details.
Prior to the album release, a limited-edition seven-inch single will be released exclusively for Record Store Day (Saturday, April 19). This special single will feature album track "Hundreds of Ways" along with album outtake "Fast Friends" on the B-side. You can hear "Hundreds of Ways" here.
CONOR OBERST ON TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST DAWES
May 8 | Haw River Ballroom | Saxapahaw, NC |
May 9 | The Orange Peel | Asheville, NC |
May 10 | Shaky Knees Festival | Atlanta, GA |
May 11 | Charleston Music Hall | Charleston, SC |
May 13 | Ponte Vedra Concert Hall | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL |
May 14 | The Beacham | Orlando, FL |
May 16 | The Hangout Fest | Gulf Shores, AL |
May 17 | Track 29 | Chattanooga, TN |
May 21 | Union Transfer | Philadelphia, PA |
May 22 | The Space at Westbury | Westbury, NY |
May 23&24 | 9:30 Club | Washington, DC |
May 25 | Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead | Munhall, PA |
May 27 | Taft Theatre | Cincinnati, OH |
May 29 | Metro | Chicago, IL |
May 30 | Metro - Sold Out | Chicago, IL |
May 31 | Pabst Theater | Milwaukee, WI |
Jun 1&2 | First Avenue | Minneapolis, MN |
Jun 4 | Sokol Auditorium | Omaha, NE |
Jun 5 | The Blue Note | Columbia, MO |
Jun 6 | Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN |
Jul 8 | Cathedral | Manchester, UK |
Jul 9 | KOKO - Sold Out | London, UK |
Jul 11 | Bilbao BBK Live | Bilbao, SPAIN |
Jul 12 | Musilac Festival | Aix les Bains, FRANCE |
Jul 13 | Cactus Festival | Brugge, BELGIUM |
Jul 14 | Volkhof Festival | Nijmegan, NETHERLANDS |
Jul 15 | Paradiso | Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS |
Jul 17 | Gurten Festival | Berne, SWITZERLAND |
Jul 18 | KOKO | London, UK |
Jul 19 | Latitude Festival | Southwold, UK |
Jul 20 | Longitude Festival | Dublin, IRELAND |
Jul 21 | ABC | Glasgow, UK |
Jul 27 | Newport Folk Festival | Newport, RI |
Jul 29 | SummerStage | New York, NY |
Aug 5 | Train | Aarhus, DENMARK |
Aug 6 | Amager Bio | Copenhagen, DENMARK |
Aug 11 | Fabrik | Hamburg, GERMANY |
Aug 12 | Postbahnhof | Berlin, GERMANY |
Aug 13 | Arena | Vienna, AUSTRIA |
Aug 14 | Freiheiz | Munich, GERMANY |
Aug 15 | Gloria | Cologne, GERMANY |
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